Round Four is when things get serious at the Roxy Pro. It's when World Title contenders inevitably begin to get paired, giving the winner a clear jump over the other in the year-long race. So when Stephanie Gilmore and Courtney Conlogue paddled out for the last heat of the day Saturday, there was plenty at Stake.
Conlogue is sick of being runner-up. She's finished No. 2 on the Jeep Leaderboard two years in a row now. She wants the brass ring.
Gilmore, meanwhile, is trying to keep the blades sharp. While her surfing is as brilliant as ever, she's hasn't been the dominant force on Tour for a couple years now.
The match was a brutal affair in lumpy conditions. Steph was down until the very end until she stitched this incredible ride together.